Angular Localization: A clinical test for investigation of the ability to localize airborne sound

The investigation was carried out to develop a method for directional audiometry that, will provide a test of the different functions in angular localization. The method has the following properties. (1) What we have called "physiological directional hearing", i.e. the ability to angular localization of a sound source in a free field, can be estimated. (2) Defective ability to discriminate interaural time, phase and intensity differences can be detected individually. The sources of error of the method are carefully investigated with the aid of an artificial head.In future work this method for directional audiometry will be tested clinically in order to estimate the value angular localization may have for the topical diagnosis of hearing defects.